Home, with Herkimer.

I'm home, but I've brought a few things back from Seattle with me. First thing I brought back was "This Guy", compliments of Jer. My Dad finally got his cast off, but he was complaining that he cant bend his pinky finger anymore. I said "No worries Dad, that's how all the cool guys point to themselves...not with their thumbs, but with their pinky fingers." Apparently someone on the show 30 Rock started this, and Jer thought that it was funny - so we pointed to ourselves with pinky fingers the whole time I was in Seattle. Doesn't make much sense? Yeah, I know - you probably had to be there. Anywho - we got Dad pointing to himself with his pinky finger now.

The second thing that I brought home with me was Herkimer coffee....9 pounds of Herkimer coffee to be exact! It is simply the best, (yes I'm sorry, even better that Stumptown). When Julisa was putting in an order for the restaurant, I asked her to order me a bunch as well to last me through these upcoming months. SO delicious. Seattle is known for coffee, but this is the best.

The third thing that I brought home with me were two Heidi Swanson cookbooks, compliments of Dr.J. I love love love Heidis recipes, and found out that several of the epic meals J-Ngan has prepared are from her books. Janice and I had talked about her brilliance and I said that I planned to buy the cookbooks when I got home. Totally unnecessary because Dr.J bought them for me right before I left Seattle!! I can't wait to dive head first into these delicious and nutritious cookbooks -- thanks J!

And last, but CERTAINLY not least -- LISSIE. Big big thanks to Jer who introduced me to Illnois-based musician, Lissie. She is awesome...a big country, a bit folky, a bit rock and roll - and totally awesome. CHECK HER OUT.

Holy Shit-Balls.

Yep, I just said "holy shit balls". Julisa is my only friend that not only has a potty mouth like I do-- oh no, she takes it even further. Her creative cuss words were contagious, and before I knew it I was saying things like "shit balls", and "shit fuck", "balls" and so many more ball-shit-and Fbomb variations. Mom, I know that this doesn't excite you so I'll try to keep my truck-driver-mouth to myself when I get home. Anywho- last night J-Ngan made the best meal that I've ever had in all my life. Unfortunately (for you) the recipe is top secret-- if we told you we'd have to kill ya! It was so sublime, so spectacular - that the only thing that I could think to say was "Holy Shit Balls". I think that I said it about 10times during dinner. It was so SO so SOOOO delicious. The ingredient that I think really added a ton of complexity (as well as down-right-deliciousness) to the meal was the sour pickled mustard greens that Janice incorporated. Outstanding. The pickled greens reminded me of the fermented spring onions that I ate in Laos. So yummy! Thanks again to the oh-so-wonderful Janice for making an out-of-this-world meal. Holy Shit-Balls!

Just SOME of the ingredients that went into this dinner...

Pickled Sour Mustard Greens...SOOO good!

Chef J-Ngan...holdin' it down.

Emma's Cup Cocktail

It's my last night here in Seattle, and we decided to stay home for a delicious J-Ngan homemade dinner and some of Jules spectacular cocktails. The one that J, J and me are sipping in this photo is: 2/3 dry white wine, 1/3 Aperol and a generous splash of St.Germain. Shake the shit outta it to mix it and ice it, then serve strained into a cute cup. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the rind of an orange for the garnish. Enjoy, or better yet- enjoy with good friends...

Dr.J's Optometry

A view from the Ferry, looking out at Mt. Rainier.

Took the ferry to visit the optometry practice that Dr.J (Janice) and Jer are buying. It's in Port Orchard, which is about an hour from where they live in Seattle. The ferry ride was beautiful- you could see Mt.Rainier as well as the Olympic mountain range. The air was crisp and cold but gorgeous and refreshing.

Dr. J in front of her soon-to-be Optometry practice.

Janice has been an optometrist for almost 7 years now, but she's decided to take it another step and buy her own practice! Things are in the works, and Dr.J should be in her new office by the new year. It's a big step for J & J, and I'm super excited for them! We had fun getting the "grand tour" and trying on heaps of different glasses. Another amazing say with Jules, Jer and Janice...only dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow- then I'm headed back east....

Try these on, no - try these on. Hey - try THESE on....

Do I look smart in these? Wow, everything is just a blur...

Team Edward Twilight Premiere

We don't mess around....pouring some Pinot Blanca into a thermos and packing plastic cups.

You're goddamn right! Team Edward!

Lines, lines, and more lines. People camped out for hours. We arrived an hour and a half early and managed to get somewhat of a decent seat.

Passing the time, playing cards.

In our seats, wine in hand, ready for BREAKING DAWN!!!

Crazy Amazing Cosetta

I would call Cosetta Romani amazing, but that wouldn't be enough, because she is CRAZY AMAZING. Vibrant energy, fully-engaged in life and in the moment, and a nurturing soul. I felt super blessed to be able to be in one of her classes this morning at Spira Yoga (a fabulous new studio in West Seattle), and it was even better because I got to practice alongside my best friend. It's moments like this that I hold on to and keep in my heart - and when I'm having a rough day it's reflections on these moments that make me smile despite the gloom. First of all, we practiced in a circle, which I LOVE. Those of you who have been to my classes know this, because we practice in a half circle. Yoga encourages a sense of community, and I have a hard time feeling connected to someone when my heads up their ass as our mats are stacked. In a circle I can see and feel connected to the people that I'm practicing with. It helps to break down any barriers, and I use that community that we've built for encouragement. Last night at a power yoga class at Be Luminous I wouldn't have dared trying any of the arm balances that were being barked out. But in Cosetta's class...with a little bit of guidance, alot of courage and a little bit of laughter I was able to get into a tricky arm balance that I'd once thought impossible. Cosetta is brilliant at breaking down barriers that we have built within ourselves, and she helps you to fully let go of any inhibitions that are holding you back.

I think that it's fair to say that I travel very often, and yoga is something that I never leave home without. I always have a personal practice, but I've also been really blessed to stumble upon some great yoga studios along the way {chang mai/thailand, hermosa/costa rica, boulder/colorado} and I'm so glad to have happened upon Spira. Well, I guess that I have Julia to thank for that. For anyone who is in the area, or who will ever pass through Seattle, add SPIRA YOGA as a must-stop, and of course - any class of Cosetta's is bound to blow your mind. For more about Cosetta and all of her crazy amazingness check out www.puravitayoga.com She will be holding a Trance Dance workshop from 8-10pm this Saturday if anyone lives locally...I hope to make it and let loose my inhibitions. Also, for the schedule at Spira you can check out www.spirapoweryoga.com, which is owned and operated by the equally fabulous , Dora.

namaste my friends !

Cosetta's class this morning was so fabulous I requested that everyone stay so that we could take a quick photo and capture the moment.....

WHITE BUFFALO, Seattle

I have seen the White Buffalo a number of times now, and goddamn he's JUST SO GOOD. I don't know of anyone with such a heartbreakingly beautiful voice. And to make the show even better than it already could have been - I got to enjoy it with two of my beautiful friends at a super-awesome venue, the Tractor Tavern. Our bartender Casey kept the beers flowing, and we danced and swayed the night away. The White Buffalo just released a new cd (which is amazing) but only available at his shows. He'll be releasing it sometime in December but for now, I got mine bitches!!

OMG, the white buffaloooooo!!

the two most beautiful women in the northwest <3

love.

matt, the drummer, gave me a drum stick. yeeeeeewwww!!!

And I's on an island, an island for one
Burning my eyes staring at the sun, staring at the sun

And I's always silent, well had of gone deaf and dumb
I feel like a loser cause i never won, but I never won

'Til you blew in just like paper in the wind
And I just wanted something to believe in
And I just want to be your man, your friend
Carry on with you right down to the very end
Oh I'm with you
Oh I'm with you
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/the_white_buffalo/love_song_1.html ]
And I's always diving, diving under the gun
Well holding on to nothing, holding onto some, well holding onto some

And I's always striving, but I'm left undone
Countin the days but the lonely dont lye, they get up and they run

'Til you blew in just like paper in the wind
Well I just wanted somethin to believe in
And I just want you on my arm, every limb
Carry on with you right down to the bitter end
Oh I'm with you
Oh I'm with you
Oh I'm with you

the white buffalo, love song #1

J-Ngan's Sauteed Greens over Quinoa

Janice has a skill that not many people have...the clean out the kitchen and make something epic skill. My mom has it too, and it's damn impressive. With a little of this and a little of that, Janice just started pulling random things from the fridge and pantry and voila....an epic meal. The whole point is to clean out the fridge, but since the recipe was so good I'm going to share it with you so you can swing by the grocery store and pick up what you need...

Sauteed Greens over Quinoa with Farm Fresh Egg

• Swiss Chard
• Two little heads of baby bok choy
• One can of chick peas, rinsed
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• One tomato, diced
• Pancetta (obviously you can leave this out to make it a vegetarian meal)
• Quinoa
• Water, or better yet - BROTH, and better than that...HOMEMADE broth
• Eggs

1. In a pan, sautee your diced pancetta, when that's cook remove the pancetta and set aside.

1. In that same pan sautee throw in the diced garlic, bok choy and the stems of the chard into the pan and sautee til they have softened a bit.
   
2. Throw in the diced tomatoes and chickpeas, and then add in the leafy parts of the greens.
3. In a separate bowl, cook your quinoa. I always do 1 cup quinoa, 1 1/2 cup liquid. Instead of using water Janice used a homemade chicken stock that she'd made and it was deeeeelicious.
   
4. To assemble put a bed of quinoa down, the sauteed goodness on top, toss some of your pancetta on top of that and then finish with a fried FARM FRESH EGG.
   

SO GOOD.

Back at YoBe

So one of my favorite places to practice yoga in Seattle is at YoBe: Yoga on Beacon. Julisa, Jeremy and I took Erich's 9:00am class and it was awesome. Afterwards we stayed at the studio and messed around with the straps. If the class is small enough, Erich will hold class with the straps. So cool and such a great way to get deeper into poses. Woooohoooo yoga with those you love, nothin better.

Droga.

Drunk + Yoga = DROGA

We weren't drunk but we had definitely had a few cocktails, and then the yoga came out...

Though all of us are at different levels of our practice, and though we all have different preferences considering the STYLE of yoga that we like - one thing we all agree on, yoga is amaaaazing. And once the drinks start flowing we inevitably end up busting out some of our favorite asanas, and offer up fun variations to poses along with pointers about how to do this or that. Here we are enjoying a restorative but extremely powerful pose, Viparita Karani (legs up the wall). Damn it feels good!

Sweet Seattle.

It feels like home sweet home in Seattle. From the moment that Jer scooped me up at the airport, I have been smothered with love, food, wine, and hugs. I love the shit outta my Three Jays (Julia, Jeremy and Janice) and I'm super excited about the awesome week that we're going to have. To start it all off, once everyone is awake (I'm up freakishly early thanks to the time difference and the fact that I'm an early riser), we are going to head out for brunch. Food is not taken lightly around these parts, and brunch is specifically epic. Oh Seattle and my Three J's...I love you and I've missed you. <3

...Just For Adults.

El Gaucho

2505 First Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 728-1337

A trip to the movie theatre has been taken to a whole new level by my beloved Seattle-ites. EL GAUCHO in downtown Seattle is a showing room for 21 and up. It's a very small, "boutique" theatre, with an epic lounge area and a full bar. Make sure that you book your ticket ahead online, otherwise you'll be shit outta luck -- it's guaranteed to sell out, no matter what is playing. It's tough to nail in a good seat too...so get there EARLY and get to the front of the line if you plan to sit with the people you came with. Also, it's best to come with atleast one other person, that way one person can get the drinks, while the other waits in line, charges the door and secures good seats.

Pre-Show...the bar is 5 people deep... and this is no beer and "red" or "white" wine establishment...only the finest cocktails and a large selection of fine wines - served in proper glasses....ooolala heaven.

After an epic day of food (surprise!), wine (surprise!) and shopping (surprise!)...Janice, Julisa and I decided that it was only appropriate after trying on wedding dresses and planning Julia's upcoming nuptials to go and see the new movie BRIDESMAIDS. Janice selected us a nice bottle of white wine, Julisa nabbed us the best seats in the house, and I...well, I enjoyed the seats and the wine!! The movie was absolutely, slap-your-knees and grasp-your-sides HYSTERICAL. I think that we missed half of the movie because we were laughing so hard. There were several people in the cast from SNL, and they were sure not to disappoint. And anyone who has been in a bridal party can attest to the madness that goes down. Whether you are male, female, married, unwed, straight or sideways....this movie is a must see. And it's even better served with alcohol, because isn't everything??

By BEAUTIFUL Seattle Sisters...Janice and Julisa. Thank you for being two of the most outstanding, outgoing and simply epic people.

The small theatre...filling up....

Northwest Food & Friends.

Julisa scooped me up at the airport and into her arms after my loooong journey home from Asia. Despite going nearly 20 hours without sleep, I was ready and raring to go - as Julia knew I would be. We dropped my bags, picked up Gordon, I shed my flight clothes and threw on a nicer getup - and we were off for brunch! The food was absolutely delicious. I, as is my way when in Seattle, ordered a Burger & Fries. The fries were the highlight of brekky...Julia was pretty stoked on them (see photo below), and they were served with homemade ketchup. MmMmMmMm. Julia had fresh, heavenly biscuits topped with sauteed mushrooms in a gravy, and scrambled eggs. Gordon had a turkey club, and we shared a really fantastic grilled vegetable platter. Of course, we washed it all down with a champagne cocktail and some coffee, afterall -- it's not brunch without a little bubbly! Stuffed to the gills, we headed to the farmers market to pick up some local, organic goodies to bring to dinner at Carl and Erin's later that night. Then we headed home and Jules & Gordon putzed in their garden, enjoying the "hot sunny day" (aka, I had a sweater on, and socks, and a blanket wrapped around me!).

Jules, stoked on fries and champagne.

Gordon and Jules, gameplanning their veggie beds...

A few hours to digest, power naps all around, and then we were ready for round 2 of food and booze. We headed to Carl and Erin's. Carl and Erin aren't a couple, but they are a dynamic duo that is entertaining to hang out with and simply to observe!! Carl is...carl. He's a pretty eclectic, random, multi-faceted person...with not a single bad bone in his body, and generosity that is over the top. We aren't sure how old he is, but after years of research and asking around, Erin gathers that Carl's 49 or 50. The asian in him makes guessing his age nearly impossible. So, the age-less Carl owns a big, beautiful home just outside of Columbia City in Seattle. Erin, a young, boisterous traveler has been his roomate for a few years now. She works at La Medusa with Julisa and Gordon, as well as another side job. Living with Carl for next-to-nothing has allowed her to save save save and Carl will tell you that he enjoys the company of his outgoing roomie more than anything. It's a great partnership. Both Carl and Erin are AVID bikers....this is bicycles I'm talking about. But for shits and giggles they will ride to Portland, Oregon and back. Fucking hell! Erin has an enthusiastic addictive personality, and anything that she does she will put her whole heart and soul into. SO, in just a year she has taken her cycling to a whole new level -- investing in all the gear, a coach, and has even begun competing in races...and doing great!! Needless to say, I'm super proud of her. She truly is a go-getter...and I love to be around people like this. They are inspiring. Anyways - Carl and Erin. Not a romantic thing, but a roomate thing. They hosted us for dinner and we all pitched in to make an outrageously delicious, nutritious local meal. Carl had FRESH halibut filets that he did on the grill in a simple salt, pepper, lemon concoction that was absolutely divine. The fish was cooked to perfection - moist, tender, and fresh fresh fresh. We also did some grilled onions and asparagus that had been marinated a bit, grilled baked potatoes and a bread salad. Gordon did the bread salad, and no one could speak - we all just moaned our way through it.

BREAD SALAD:

Get a good loaf of bread, slice into 3/4 inch slices. Drizzle with olive and grill. Dice into cubes. Do the same to large scallions: drizzle, grill, dice. In a bowl mix fresh salad greens, bread and scallions. Drizzle with HIGH QUALITY extra virgin olive oil and HIGH QUALITY balsamic vinegar. Salt, Pepp. Enjoy.

First round of drinks was Carl's famous (deadly strong) margaritas, and then we finished the night with white wine.

The Dynamic Duo: Carl and Erin.

Erin, Gordon and Julia...snacking and slavin'.

Fabulous Foodies and Fabulous Friends: Erin, Me and Julisa.

We got home around 11:30pm, and I fell straight to sleep. In the previous two days I had slept only about 5 hours total, so I was wrecked. Jet-lagged and totally confused by the time difference. Well, at half past noon Julisa walked into my room and said "Are you alive??". BAH. Needed that! I felt bad that I missed quality time with my bestie, but sleep was necessary and it was nice that her and Gordon got some quality time together on their day off. We putzed around the house and drank a couple cups of coffee (Julia makes the best! It's the combination of Bialetti espresso and the beans that they use: HERKIMER COFFEE, its the BEST!). Then we got cleaned up and headed out on our expedition: wedding dress. We got to the plaza a bit early so we had to stop into H&M. Well, their bathingsuits were in - and they are GOOD this year. SO, I got a few... You know me, my weakness: coffee and bathingsuits. Yeeeew! We met Erin at a restaurant in the plaza after H&M for a glass of wine. Then we were off to JCREW for wedding dresses. This JCREW is one of the 5 in the country that actually have the wedding dresses at the store. It was supposed to be a "big deal", but the situation was this: a mono-toned college student who lacked enthusiasm, personality and wedding-dress-knowledge put us in a dressing room for the handicapped and said 'holler if ya need me'. Ha. Not quite what we were expecting, but we made it fun none-the-less. There weren't any winners, or even any semi-winners, but the process of elimination is good sometimes by realizing what you DONT want you come closer to knowing what you DO want.

Wine to warm up for the wedding dress excursion....

Miller...trying to figure out whats going on. Where do we sit? Where is the lady? WHERES THE CHAMPAGNE? This was supposed to be a consultation...

Julisa, paying homage to her Dad....

Yeah, no. No, No, and another No.

Pearls? NO THANK YOU.

She'd look beautiful in anything....

Size 12 dresses, had to clip em up....

So, no dress. What now? Food and booze of course!! Janice met up with us and the 4 of us headed to SERIOUS PIE for some seriously outstanding pizza pies, appetizers, and .... wine. Grilled octopus and garbanzo beans, Greens with Caviar and Ham, 3 stupendous pies, a bottle of bubbly rose followed by a bottle of white, finished off with chocolate mousse and americano's. Boom. Get 'er done. Us ladies don't mess around.

Julisa, JANNNNNICCCEEE and Me.

Jules, Me and the PIG @ Serious Pie. This photos for you Dad! We love you.